Our letters page is available. So is the tennis court.
This week, protest came to Boca Grande over Minneapolis and ICE. Those who saw it on social media and are reading about it today will have different opinions. Ask anyone their thoughts, and you will get as many answers as there are people to ask.
National issues are far beyond our weekly scope. The only local “angle” is that three weeks ago we had the rumor, disproven every which way, of an immigration raid on Gasparilla Island. Some were eager to be outraged, but we were never able to show even one arrest, nor was even one photo taken. And these days, everyone has a camera. The issue died after we gathered facts.
Tuesday’s rally was peaceful, mannerly and unfailingly polite, with only one middle finger from a passer-by giving it some street cred. The residents wanted to show what side they were on. Organizer Karin Birkeland, an attorney and civic leader in Minneapolis, afterward expressed concern for the rule of law.
“We all believe in immigration rules, and we all believe that the immigration laws should be enforced, but we have to do it with humanity, dignity and effective enforcement,” Birkeland said. “This is not a partisan, political matter. We believe in the Constitution, we’re patriots, we believe in our country, and we want it to be what it’s supposed to be and live up to its principles.”
The points made on signs did not always resonate well, however, and a Facebook post exploded with close to 300,000 views. The story opened up a vast chasm between our readers who come to the island to escape controversy. What gave the news resonance was the issue of parking and access to Gasparilla Island beaches, an “easy for you to say” worldview of so-called luxury beliefs. The point was that those who live in safety, insulated from any of the consequences of large-scale illegal immigration, are protesting from behind a gated island.
A reminder: We have just under 4,000 print circulation, and a large proportion are off island, sometimes as far away as Punta Gorda. Our website has 28,000 users on a slow month; we also have an E-edition and Visitor Guide. Most content is paywalled; the public service information is not. We have 33,000 followers on Facebook. There are also many who visit the island for a week or a month and read us intermittently. In order to thrive in an era of disappearing newspapers we must stay at the forefront of technology and social media.
We can have practical conversations in person about both sides of the issue. How do you think you would feel if you were an Englewood tradesman who could not afford health insurance and lost a bid to a company that was paying employees under the table? How do we deal with a local person who overstayed a visa, and who now has school-aged children who are citizens, and a business?
Many times, it takes a bit of back and forth for the other person to understand where you are coming from. Those who look at life through a social-work type setting or as a corporate consultant have a useful tool. It is the phrase “What I think I hear you saying is…” However cloying, at least it makes the listener try to understand the point the other person is making. The conversation can indeed move forward. A friend yesterday said it differently at drinks. He said, “Help me out here; I don’t understand what you mean.”
Last week, we referred to the late Scott Adams, the Dilbert cartoonist, who died this month. Adams gave us the idea of “Two movies on one screen.” His idea is that we, as Americans, are operating in different worlds of thought ideas because of our respective media bubbles. One other insight came out after his memorial service. One tennis friend expressed at his service that Adams would give away any points that were questionable, in service to their long game of friendship.
Say, “I will take your point, for the sake of argument.” Engage someone with whom you disagree, and do not assume or judge when they come back at you with something different. We can navigate these discussions gingerly. It can be a skill learned again.
Not easy in tough times.
There is deep, riotous anger on the streets in so many cities, yet many do not understand the risks ahead. This is especially true for those of us in Florida, who are insulated from this disorder.
One modest thing we can remind is that our letters page is open to you. This editor’s dear (late) aunt, a old-fashioned McGovern liberal, became a minor celebrity in her little Virginia conservative town as she often penned letters to explain her positions. While many did not agree, what they did appreciate was her humanity and that she took the time to put her thoughts into words and put her name to it publicly. They liked her, and listened.
Many of you, like the organizer of this week’s rally, are personally connected to national events, from all sides, and can affect change firsthand. Your opinion, insights and solutions are welcome here.
Garland Pollard is editor of the Boca Beacon. Email editor@bocabeacon.com
